I’ve used the $15-an-hour private gym-in-a-box in Singapore. It’s not perfect, but it helps me get fitter without my workout anxiety getting in the way.

• The private gym-in-a-box concept is so popular it’s now expanding across the world.
• I balked at the price at first but came to love it as a space for working out without anxiety.
• Now that I’m further along in my fitness journey though, I can’t quite justify the price of using it regularly.

The private gym in a box is a concept that’s popular and going global now, but it began in Singapore. I balked at the concept at first, but now think it fills a unique niche.

I first stumbled upon one of these distinctive yellow boxes in a local mall. Downloading the Gym Pod app, I was intrigued by the concept but taken aback by the price tag — at $11 to $14 an hour, it amounts to nearly $290 a month if you use the box four times a week for hour-long sessions.

In comparison, the average cost of gym memberships in Singapore is around $150 a month, according to Value Champion.

But after visits to the nearby not-in-a-box gym and enduring the long waiting times for popular workout equipment. I was frustrated enough to book a slot with the Gym Pod.

My first impression was that the yellow box comes chock-full of useful amenities: From weight racks to yoga mats, air conditioning, a smart mirror for displaying guided workout routines and selecting playlists, and a Bluetooth speaker.

And I loved it.

Not just because there were no queues, but because no queues also meant no workout anxiety.

Anyone who’s a fitness novice understands the anxiety of going to the gym when they’re just starting out. Being surrounded by people who are way more fit than you are and the irrational inadequacy of it all.

My workout buddy, Elliot, seems to agree: “It’s gym anxiety that stops me going to the regular gym, and to be able to go there really helped with that. I didn’t feel like I didn’t belong.” 

But now that I’m further along in my fitness journey, where workout anxiety no longer bothers me as much as it used to, I can’t quite justify the price of going to a private gym in a box.

Plus, the gym in a box doesn’t always lend itself to consistency. While you’d always be able to visit your regular gym, securing peak-time slots with the Gym Pod — such as the pre-work morning hours — often requires booking days in advance.

And the concept is still in its infancy, even here in Singapore. While two of Gym Pod’s boxes are within walking distance of where I live, friends I know have complained they’ve never come across one in their neighborhoods.

Still, it’s a great option when you have a friend who’s just starting out and would prefer a little more privacy while learning the ropes.